Dortmund ease into last eight despite loss

Borussia Dortmind 1 Zenit St Petersburg 2 (Dortmund win 5-4 on aggregate)Borussia Dortmund eased into the quarter-finals of the Champions League despite defeat on the night against Zenit St Petersburg.

With a 4-2 away win in the bank, Borussia held almost all of the cards and played them conservatively to secure their passage even as they lost 2-1 on home soil.

Hulk’s 16th-minute wonder strike for Zenit was cancelled out by Sebastian Kehl seven minutes before half-time, and although Zenit substitute Rondon scored a second with 17 minutes to go, there was little threat of them getting back on level terms.

The only significant negative for Jurgen Klopp was a yellow card for star striker Robert Lewandowski, ruling him out of their next match.

It should have been even easier for Dortmund, but Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang inexplicably headed wide after just five minutes.

Zenit threatened with a decent effort from Axel Witsel, gathered at the second attempt by Roman Weidenfeller, but when their goal came, it came out of nothing as Hulk, with his back to goal 30 yards out, spun away from his man and then hit a fierce shot into the top left-hand corner.

Then, attacking at almost walking pace, Dortmund scored the goal which struck at Zenit hearts, as Kehl broke into the area to connect with Marcel Schmelzer’s cross, heading it down into the ground as Viacheslav Malafeev could only help it on its way.

In the second half, Rondon was able to slip past the sleeping Mats Hummels to head in a second for Zenit in the 73rd minute, but other than a late, dangerous cross from Hulk which eluded his team-mates, there was no sign of a rally from the visitors.